Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Obama, and Iran's perception of him

Victor Davis Hanson:  Iran 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0    "At no point did candidate Obama stop to consider that the Iranians could view his loud politicking and opportunistic criticism of Bush’s hostility toward Iran — identical to standard US bipartisan policy under at least the four prior presidents — as weakness to be manipulated rather than magnanimity to be appreciated."
...."Due to Obama’s hostility toward Israel, the United States now has far less knowledge about, and influence with, the Israeli military. And the long-appeased Iranian theocracy is now more likely to miscalculate, thinking either that the confused Obama administration won’t stop it, or that any American attempt to stop it would be only half-hearted."
In other words, liberal pacifism kills people.


Bruce Thornton:  Obama’s Assault on America’s Prestige   "Power is not just about material resources, but also the perceptions of others that power will be used, a perception that works as a force multiplier. As Vergil says in the Aeneid, “They have power because they seem to have power.” "
....
"In short, thanks to Obama’s foreign policy, our enemies and rivals do not believe that we will vigorously defend our interests and citizens. We have the most lethal military power in the history of the world, but we lack the prestige based on the certainty of friend and foe alike that we will use that power to protect our friends and punish our enemies. Great powers decline for many reasons, but losing respect for their power is surely one of them."
http://www.mideasttruth.com/cartoons.html

Tucker Carlson Discusses Media Matters on the O’Reilly Show

Verum Serum  "I’m loving this series. Today’s entry reveals Media Matters plans to hire investigators to dig into the personal lives of Fox News employees:
What Frisch proceeded to suggest, however, went well beyond what legitimate presidential campaigns attempt. “We should hire private investigators to look into the personal lives of Fox News anchors, hosts, reporters, prominent contributors, senior network and corporate staff,” he wrote…
The memo goes on to suggest new and unusual ways to harass Fox News: “detailed opposition research” on the network’s staff and executives, attacks against Fox News employees on Facebook and other social media, mailing anti-Fox News literature to their homes and placing “yard signs and outdoor advertising in their neighborhoods.”
"None of this is really surprising, but it is something to actually have the proof. Kudos to Tucker Carlson for digging into this (and likely setting himself at the top of the Media Matters target list)."

Obama’s Continuing Assault on the Constitution

Morning Bell:  "Obamacare’s anti-conscience mandate did not change in a final rule that was posted later that day. And even if the president’s hypothetical became reality, Heritage’s Jennifer Marshall explains that the religious liberty problem still remains:..." 
...."In a government where there are no practical limits on executive overreach, there are likewise no limits on the government’s ability to impose its will on the people. With the president’s trampling of religious liberties, the country is getting its first taste of the consequences of Obama’s unmitigated power grab. And if this power remains unchecked, there are certainly more consequences to come."


Michelle Malkin: Will Jack Lew please report to the Obama “Truth Team” desk now?  "So far, no word from the “Truth Team” about Obama chief of staff Jack Lew’s big whopper about the fundamentals of the budget process:..."


On this week's  Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew where Obama got the authority to mandate that insurance companies provide contraceptives. Lew told Wallace that “The president has the authority under the Affordable Care Act* to have these kinds of rules take effect...” 
*Known as "ObamaCare", in case you are an #Occupier.
Few lawmakers have expressed as much outrage over President Obama’s unconstitutional “recess” appointments as Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). (video)


What motivated Obama's HHS mandate?   "While one could argue that a president who hides all of his college grades and test scores might not be super-bright, almost everyone would probably admit that Obama is politically astute. So why did he, in effect, pick a fight with the Catholic Church in an election year? There seem to be two possible explanations for it beyond a dedication to "reproductive rights." "

Deroy Murdock  The HHS Mandate: Why?  "More than anything else, the issue here is mandates. If Obama gets away with this, why could he not compel, say, Gay Men’s Health Crisis to counsel heterosexual women on achieving or avoiding pregnancy? GMHC might prefer to help gay men address myriad medical matters. Obama, however, simply could reply: “Never mind. I know best. So, hop to it." ”


NRO: Wherefore Art Thou ACLU?  "Only certain civil liberties need apply."